Investigators say they have rescued 146 children in a worldwide operation targeting sexual abuse over the internet.
More than 830 investigations were initiated, Europol announced in The Hague on Wednesday.
More than 90,000 user accounts had been identified, it added.
In New Zealand alone, 46 people were arrested and more than 100 suspects were identified in the European Union, according to Europol, the bloc’s law enforcement agency.
Investigators in New Zealand started the probe in 2019 after an internet provider reported that a large number of suspected sex offenders were using its platform to exchange photos.
According to Europol, the images were extremely cruel and sadistic and the victims included very young children.
On the basis of this report, 32 gigabytes of image material were seized in the end while in the countries involved, tens of thousands of user accounts could be identified and investigated.
In this way, it was possible to find 146 children and bring them to safety.
In two cases, in Austria and Hungary, the suspects had abused their own children aged six and eight.
The New Zealand Police were leading the operation.
Investigators from 11 other countries were involved, eight of them in the EU.
Europol, Interpol and the FBI supported the operation.
Investigations were still ongoing in many cases in the EU.
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